Image forming apparatus to which toner container is attachable

Abstract

A developing device develops an electrostatic latent image formed on a photosensitive drum. A bottle rotation sensor detects rotation of a toner bottle that stores toner. A bottle motor drives the toner bottle for rotation to thereby discharge toner from the toner bottle. A hopper-internal toner sensor detects presence / absence of toner stored in a hopper that stores toner discharged from the toner bottle. A replenishment unit replenishes toner stored in the hopper to the developing device. Which of failure of the bottle rotation sensor and rotation failure of the toner bottle has occurred is determined based on a detection result of the bottle rotation sensor and a detection result of the hopper-internal toner sensor.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the Invention[0001]The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus to which a toner container is attachable.Description of the Related Art[0002]Conventionally, image forming apparatuses of an electrophotographic type, an electrostatic recording type, and so forth, to which a toner container storing toner is attachable, include a known one that replenishes toner in the toner container to a developing device via a container (referred to as the hopper). The known image forming apparatus supplies, when toner in the hopper becomes insufficient, toner to the hopper by rotating the attached toner container. This causes toner to be stored in the hopper, which is used for development by the developing device. At this time, whether or not the toner container is rotating is monitored by a rotation sensor. If rotation of the toner container is not detected, an abnormality message is displayed on a screen. However, there are various kinds of causes...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]According to the present invention, it is possible to determine which of failure of the detection unit for detecting rotation of the toner container and rotation failure of the toner container has occurred, without providing a component for detecting a drive load.

Problems solved by technology

However, there are various kinds of causes why rotation of the toner container is not detected, and hence it takes a time to identify the cause.

For example, in the case of faulty attachment of the toner container, load on a gear increases, which causes improper rotation of the toner container or disables the toner container from rotating.

However, in the disclosed image forming apparatus, it is necessary to provide the exclusive current detection circuit in the bottle motor, and hence the configuration becomes complicated and further it is disadvantageous from the viewpoint of cost.

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